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Item Self Help Plus: Study Protocol for a Clusterrandomised Controlled Trial of Guided Self-Help with South Sudanese Refugee Women in Uganda(Global Mental Health, 2018-05-30) F. L. Brown, K. Carswell, Adaku A., Leku M. R, P. Ventevogel, R. A. Bryant, M. van Ommeren, W. A. TolExposure to armed conflict and forced displacement constitute significant risks for mental health. Existing evidence-based psychological interventions have limitations for scaling-up in low-resource humanitarian settings. The WHO has developed a guided self-help intervention, Self Help Plus (SH+), which is brief, implemented by non-specialists, and designed to be delivered to people with and without specific mental disorders. This paper outlines the study protocol for an evaluation of the SH+ intervention in northern Uganda, with South Sudanese refugee women.Item Guided Self-Help to Reduce Psychological Distress in South Sudanese Female Refugees in Uganda: A Cluster Randomised Trial(Lancet Glob Health, 2020-02-14) Tol A. Wietse, , Leku R. Marx, Lakin P. Daniel, Adaku Alex, Mark van OmmerenInnovative solutions are required to provide mental health support at scale in low-resource humanitarian contexts. We aimed to assess the effectiveness of a facilitator-guided, group-based, self-help intervention (Self-Help Plus) to reduce psychological distress in female refugees.Item Self-Help Plus for Refugees and Asylum Seekers: An Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis(BMJ Ment Health, 2023-07-31) Eirini Karyotaki, Marit Sijbrandij, Marianna Purgato, Lakin Daniel, Leku Marx Ronald, Corrado BarbuiRefugees and asylum seekers are at high risk of mental disorders due to various stressors before, during and after forceful displacement. The WHO Self-Help Plus (SH+) intervention was developed to manage psychological distress and a broad range of mental health symptoms in vulnerable populations. This study aimed to examine the effects and moderators of SH+ compared with Enhanced Care as Usual (ECAU) in reducing depressive symptoms among refugees and asylum seekersItem Prevention and Promotion Effects of Self Help Plus: Secondary Analysis of Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial Data among South Sudanese Refugee Women in Uganda(BMJ open, 2023-09-12) Augustinavicius Jura, Purgato Marianna, Marx .Ronald Leku, Kenneth Carswell, 6 Daniel Lakin, Eirini Karyotaki, Corrado BarbuiEvidence-based and scalable prevention and promotion focused mental health and psychosocial support interventions are needed for conflict-affected populations in humanitarian settings. This study retrospectively assessed whether participation in Self Help Plus (SH+) versus enhanced usual care (EUC) resulted in reduced incidence of probable mental disorder and increased positive mental health and well-being postintervention among South Sudanese refugee women in Uganda.Item Child pedestrian crossing behaviour and associated risk factors in school zones: a video-based observational study in Kampala, Uganda(BMJ Publishing Group Ltd, 2024-05) Osuret, Jimmy; Van Niekerk, Ashley; Kobusingye, Olive; Atuyambe, Lynn; Nankabirwa, VictoriaAbstract BackgroundPedestrian crashes, often occurring while road crossing and associated with crossing behaviour, make up 34.8% of road casualties in Uganda. This study determined crossing behaviour and associated factors among child pedestrians around primary schools in Kampala, Uganda.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study in 2022 among 2100 primary school children. Data on their crossing behaviour were collected using video recordings from cameras staged at the crossing points of 21 schools. We estimated prevalence ratios (PR) with their corresponding 95% CIs using a modified Poisson regression model for the association between unsafe behaviour and the predictors.ResultsThe prevalence for each of 5 unsafe child pedestrian behaviour was 206 (25.8%) for crossing outside the crosswalk, 415 (19.8%) for failing to wait at the kerb, 238 (11.3%) for failing to look for vehicles, 361 (17.2%) for running and 235 (13%) for crossing between vehicles. There was a higher likelihood of crossing outside the crosswalk when an obstacle was present (adjusted PR (aPR) 1.8; 95% CI 1.40 to 2.27) and when children crossed alone (aPR 1.5; 95% CI 1.13 to 2.06). Children who crossed without a traffic warden (aPR 2; 95% CI 1.40 to 2.37) had a significantly higher prevalence of failing to wait at a kerb.ConclusionThese findings reveal the interaction between child pedestrians, vehicles and the environment at crossings. Some factors associated with unsafe child pedestrian behaviour were the presence of an obstacle, crossing alone and the absence of a traffic warden. These findings can help researchers and practitioners understand child pedestrian crossing behaviour, highlighting the need to prioritise targeted safety measures.Item Stakeholder expectations, inter-organizational coordination and procurement practices among humanitarian organizations(Journal of Business and Socio-economic Development, 2023) Mutebi, Henry; Aryatwijuka, Wilbroad; Rukundo, Aloysious; Twongyirwe, Ronald; Tumwebembeire, Naster; Tugiramasiko, MiriamThis paper aims to examine the interconnectedness between stakeholder expectations (SE), interorganizational coordination (IOC) and procurement practices within humanitarian organizations (HOs) based in Uganda. Design/methodology/approach – Employing a quantitative cross-sectional design, data were gathered from 43 HOs and analyzed using SmartPLS 4.0.8.3. Variance-based structural equation models (VB-SEMs) were employed to examine both direct and indirect effects. Findings – The findings show a significantly positive relationship between SE, IOC and procurement practices. Additionally, the mediating role of IOC in the relationship between SE and procurement practices is evident. Research limitations/implications – While this study offers insights into procurement practices in HOs, the use of a quantitative approach might limit capturing dynamic changes over time. Future research could benefit from a nuanced approach involving interviews and longitudinal studies to uncover incremental changes. Practical implications – During relief management, HOs need to understand their SE through information sharing and capacity building. This understanding can aid in selecting procurement practices that align with SE and ensure the delivery of relief. Originality/value – Leveraging stakeholder theory, this research contributes to the understanding of how SE and IOC influence the adoption of procurement practices in HOs during relief delivery.Item Cost of digital technologies and family-observed DOT for a shorter MDR-TB regimen: a modelling study in Ethiopia, India and Uganda(BioMed Central Ltd, 2023-11) Rosu, Laura; Madan, Jason; Bronson, Gay; Nidoi, Jasper; Tefera, Mamo G; Malaisamy, Muniyandi; Squire, Bertel S; Worrall, EveAbstract Abstract Background In 2017, the WHO recommended the use of digital technologies, such as medication monitors and video observed treatment (VOT), for directly observed treatment (DOT) of drug-susceptible TB. The WHO’s 2020 guidelines extended these recommendations to multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), based on low evidence. The impact of COVID on health systems and patients underscored the need to use digital technologies in the management of MDR-TB. Methods A decision-tree model was developed to explore the costs of several potential DOT alternatives: VOT, 99DOTS (Directly-observed Treatment, Short-course) and family-observed DOT. Assuming a 9-month, all-oral regimen (as evaluated within the STREAM trial), we constructed base-case cost models for the standard-of-care DOTs in Ethiopia, India, and Uganda, as well as for the three alternative DOT approaches. The models were populated with STREAM Stage 2 clinical trial outcome and cost data, supplemented with market prices data for the digital DOT strategies. Sensitivity analyses were conducted on key parameters. Results Modelling suggested that the standard-of-care DOT approach is the most expensive DOT strategy from a societal perspective in all three countries evaluated (Ethiopia, India, Uganda), with considerable direct- and indirect-costs incurred by patients. The second most expensive DOT approach is VOT, with high health-system costs, largely caused by up-front technology expenditure. Each of VOT, 99DOTS and family-observed DOT would reduce by more than 90% patients’ direct and indirect costs compared to standard of care DOT. Results were robust to the sensitivity analyses. Conclusions While data on the costs and efficacy of alternative DOT approaches in the context of shorter MDR-TB treatment is limited, our modelling suggests alternative DOT approaches can significantly reduce patient costs in all three countries. Health system costs are higher for VOT and lower for 99DOTS and family-observed therapy when compared to standard of care DOT, as low smartphone penetration and internet availability requires the VOT health system to fund the cost of making them available to patients.Item Critical success factors of Public-Private Partnerships in the education sector(Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2023-11) Sajida; Kusumasari, BevaolaAbstract Purpose – This paper aims to identify the factors affecting the implementation of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in the education sector. Design/methodology/approach – Based on Scopus and adopting the protocol of Staples and Niazi (2007), this systematic literature review examined 21 articles on PPPs in the education sector. Content analysis is adopted to identify research gaps and provide information on critical issues in the cases. Findings – The findings have identified the critical success factors of PPPs in the education sector in 12 countries, revealing varying degrees of success and implementation challenges. They reflect the importance of clear objectives, effective communication, and robust partnerships between the public and private sectors to achieve success. These insights contribute to an in-depth understanding of PPP implementation in education, which can guide future projects. Originality/value – The critical success factors identified in PPPs implementation in education across various countries may provide a comprehensive worldwide perspective for researchers, practitioners and policymakers.Item The prevalence and Nature of Prescribing and Monitoring Errors in English General Practice: a retrospective case note review(British Journal of General Practice, 2013) Avery, Anthony J.; Franklin, Bryony Dean; Armstrong, Sarah J.; Serumaga, Brian; Talabi, Olanrewaju; Mehta, Rajnikant L.Relatively little is known about prescribing errors in general practice, or the factors associated with error. To determine the prevalence and nature of prescribing and monitoring errors in general practices in England. Retrospective case-note review of unique medication items prescribed over a 12-month period to a 2% random sample of patients. Fifteen general practices across three primary care trusts in England. A total of 6048 unique prescription items prescribed over the previous 12 months for 1777 patients were examined. The data were analysed by mixed effects logistic regression. The main outcome measures were prevalence of prescribing and monitoring errors, and severity of errors, using validated definitions. Prescribing and/or monitoring errors were detected in 4.9% (296/6048) of all prescription items (95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.4% to 5.5%). The vast majority of errors were of mild to moderate severity, with 0.2% (11/6048) of items having a severe error. After adjusting for covariates, patient-related factors associated with an increased risk of prescribing and/or monitoring errors were: age <15 years (odds ratio [OR] = 1.87, 95% CI = 1.19 to 2.94, P = 0.006) or >64 years (OR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.04 to 2.73, P = 0.035), and higher numbers of unique medication items prescribed (OR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.12 to 1.19, P<0.001). Prescribing and monitoring errors are common in English general practice, although severe errors are unusual. Many factors increase the risk of error. Having identified the most common and important errors, and the factors associated with these, strategies to prevent future errors should be developed, based on the study findings.Item The Teaching of Essays, Articles and Letter Writing: Cooperative Teaching Approach(Asian Research Journal of Arts & Social Sciences, 2017) Ayodele, Victoria; Akinkurolere, Susan; Ariyo, Kayode; Mahmud, Olayemi; Abuya, EromoseleEnglish Language occupies a central place in Nigeria as the official language. Today, teachers are calling for more effective methods of communicating information and assisting the students in the learning process because the issue of poor performances in English Language examinations is alarming and cannot be glossed over. It is noted that new pedagogies are being introduced to the curriculum from time to time; and approaches from other fields such as anthropology, psychology, sociology are encouraged. This indicates that innovations and constant improvements are needed in the teaching process. One of the innovative ways of improving students’ learning and performance is by encouraging cooperative approach. The ‘cooperative writing approach’ to teaching of English Language involves role-playing and role-shifting. The best bet in teaching is the creative and practical component. Thus, cooperative model is a recently developed socio-cultural method of the teaching aspects of a topic in any subject or course in a participatory and roleshifting manner. This approach is sociological and anthropological in orientation because it allows students to relate well in learning process. Hence, the paper identifies ways by which select topics could be taught in schools by giving practical examples. The discoveries in the teaching of students through the cooperative model will significantly improve teaching and learning of English as a Second Language in Nigeria.Item Speech Act Features of Select Extracts in Chinua Achebe’s Arrow of God: Leadership Perspective(British Journal of Education, Society & Behavioural Science, 2015) Akinkurolere, Susan Olajoke; Ariyo, Kayode SamuelThis paper examines the speech act features of select extracts of Chinua Achebe’s Arrow of God by examining the pragmatic implications of the speech acts employed and their relevance for promoting leadership in the contemporary society as it has been observed that the century has witnessed a great deal of leadership crisis especially in Nigeria. This paper is of the opinion that the use of appropriate speech acts through the various avenues opened up by language could beam light against the backdrop of the seemingly intractable socio-political conflicts that are prevalent across the globe. The exploration of certain portions of Arrow of God is a call for appropriate acts in the socio-political sphere in Nigeria and all over world. This study concludes that the effective acts in the communication of the leaders in government could enhance good governance through the investigation of the speech act choices and the perlocutionary effects in Chinua Achebe’s Arrow of God..Item The Implications of Performance in the Teaching of Poetry at Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Nigeria(Annals of Language and Literature, 2021) Akinkurolere, Susan.O.; Adewumi, Samuel; Aminu, Segun; Olowu, Ayodeji; Adetoro, AbiodunThere is no doubt, the importance of the literary aspect of English Language, as stipulated in the National Board for Technical Education(N.B.T.E) Curricula for students at National Diploma and Higher National Diploma levels in the polytechnics, can never be over emphasized. The curricula are designed in such a way that students study the three genres of literature before graduating with Higher National Diploma. Poetry, a more advanced, abstract and complex genre of literature, is taught at HND level and students are less interested as there are no explicit characters or actors. Hence, this study examined the implications of performance in the teaching of poetry and assessed the performances of HND students at Rufus Giwa Polytechnic Owo in order to demonstrate the viability of the approach. The study adopted the theoretical framework of situation cognition theory, through which, students’ emotions were linked to learning in the course of demonstrating real life situations. The intervention was administered on five hundred students and the best one hundred scores on the basis of twenty-five scores from each faculty were selected and analysed. There was a significant increase in the previous mean score of 5.94 to 9.05. Hence, students had a better understanding of poetry and lecturers, also, had the opportunity a more defined method of making poetry an adventurous experience in the classroom, especially, for the students. Therefore, engaging students in the performance of study poems is recommending for students of tertiary institutions.Item Reading Meaning through the Visual Images: Social Semiotic Approach to TELL Magazine in Nigeria(New Media and Mass Communication, 2013) John, Abuya E.; Akinkurolere, Susan O.Several studies have been carried out on verbal communication but with the recent trends and development of communication in conveyance of meaning, the importance of the cover-pages of news magazine in the print media deserves to be given attention. Hence, the employment of social semiotic approach of Kress and Van Leeuwen (2006)’s Multimodal Discourse Analysis to four selected editions of TELL magazine. The purpose is to present a shift from the usual study of visuals in line with the semantic indicators to an examination of visual images in isolation. The research brought to the conclusion that the visual images such as pictorials, colour, signs, posture, distance and symbols go a long way to convey meaning in print media especially, news magazines that need to attract the attention of the public.Item The Development of Writing Skills through Conceptual Writing(Islamic University Multidisciplinary Journal, 2019) Akinkurolere, Susan Olajoke; Mohammed, MaryamThe study was to examine the development of writing skills through conceptual writing among English language in Kampala District Uganda. Specifically, the study investigated the effect, significance and role essay writing on development of writing skills among 145 students in the same schools in Kampala, which were selected using purposive and stratified random sampling strategies. There were pre-intervention and post-intervention tests as data collection instruments, which were analysed using frequencies, percentages and arithmetic mean. The main findings were that, generally, the level of English writing skills was relatively low among English language students in secondary schools of the Division because the students had not mastered the art of conceptual writing. It was concluded that essay writing, as potential conceptual writing education strategies, were significantly predictive but not practically-oriented. It was, therefore, recommended for better effectiveness in English writing, a lot more should be done to improve essay writing education. Such improvements should be the collective responsibility of all stakeholders in education.Item SQ3R Method and Its Implications on the Reading Skills of English Language Students in Adamawa State Polytechnic Yola, Nigeria(Islamic University Multidisciplinary Journal, 2019) Akinkurolere, Susan Olajoke; Usman, Baba JimetaReading as a basic literacy skill has continuously been referred as one of the factors responsible for students’ performance in schools. The attraction to enhancing reading skills among students calls for unceasing research. Therefore, the study investigated reading proficiency and comprehension among English language students in selected departments in Adamawa State Polytechnic, Yola, Nigeria. Two departments were selected purposively selected for the study. Also, the departments chosen were with population above one hundred. This research was guided by Schema theory. Indeed, the ability to read efficiently in English is an essential skill in all spheres of life. Moreover, the effects of reading proficiency on comprehension was examined to achieve the objective through the employment of the SQ3R method for reading texts. An extract of a comprehension passage served as a research instrument for the purpose of pre-test and post-test in the study. The findings revealed that students from both departments performed inadequately before the intervention. Also, there was significant improvement after applying SQ3R method of teaching reading. The study recommended the application of SQ3R as an effective method in enhancing reading proficiency and comprehension in tertiary institutions in Nigeria.Item Income diversification and household welfare in Uganda 1992–2012(Elsevier Ltd, 2023-04) Khan, Rumman; Morrissey, OliverAbstract •Non-agricultural diversification is welfare improving for rural households.•Agricultural wage labour associated with lower welfare for rural females.•Access to farm income improves welfare of female headed urban households.•Off-farm specialisation is more beneficial for male headed urban households.•Remittances only raised welfare in the 2000s when prevalence was declining. We use five waves of household surveys in Uganda, from 1992/3 to 2011/12, to study income diversification and its effect on the welfare of rural and urban households during a period of sustained economic growth and poverty reduction, comparing the 1990s to the 2000s, and disaggregating by gender of the household head. Diversification is measured in terms of access to incomes from agriculture (farming), agricultural wage, self-employment (informal), wage employment and remittances. The analysis shows substantial and evolving variation in the effects of diversification across rural/urban locations and gender of the household head. Diversification became increasingly beneficial for welfare over time in rural areas, particularly for male headed households, but not for female headed households that diversified into agricultural wage employment. Diversification was also important for the livelihoods of urban households, but with large differences across male and female headed households likely reflecting differentials in the returns to non-agricultural employment. Remittances were associated with increasing welfare in the 2000s for all households, although the proportion of households receiving remittances has been declining.Item Adolescent girls’ perceived readiness for sex in Central Uganda - liminal transitions and implications for sexual and reproductive health interventions(Taylor & Francis, 2022-03) Kyegombe, Nambusi; Buller, Ana Maria; Meiksin, Rebecca; Wamoyi, Joyce; Muhumuza, Richard; Heise, LoriYoung women in Uganda are at risk of negative sexual and reproductive health outcomes, in part because of sex with older men. Theoretically grounded in the concept of liminality, this paper examines perceived markers of adolescent girls’ suitability for sexual activity. In 2014, we conducted 19 focus group discussions and 44 in-depth interviews in two communities in Uganda. Interviews were conducted using a semi-structured tool, audiorecorded and transcribed verbatim. Interviews examined markers of transition between childhood, adolescence and adulthood and how these were seen as relating to girls’ perceived readiness for sex. Analysis was thematic. Pre-liminal status was most often accorded to childhood. Sex with a child was strongly condemned. Physical changes during puberty and children’s increasing responsibility, autonomy and awakening sexuality reflected a liminal stage during which girls and young women were not necessarily seen as children and were increasingly described as suitable for sex. Being over 18, leaving home, and occupying ‘adult’ spaces reflected post-liminal status and perceived appropriateness for sexual activity including for girls under the age of 18. Interventions that seek to prevent early sexual debut and sexual activity with older men have the potential to reduce sexual and reproductive health risks.Item Food as medicine: Making ‘better bananas’ in Uganda(SAGE Publications, 2021-05) Calkins, SandraAbstract Cooking bananas (matooke) are a main staple in central Uganda and are very important to well-being and health. Recently, matooke have also been associated with micronutrient deficiencies among children and women. For a number of years, this fruit has been at the heart of a public health strategy that seeks to create ‘better bananas’, that is, biofortified or nutritionally enriched bananas. The efforts to biofortify food crops are part of a recent trend in the nutrition world towards improving the quality and not only the quantity of food. This article unpacks recent configurations of philanthropy, plant science and global public health and the ways in which they make conventional food crops thinkable, for instance, as cost-effective medicines. This emergent and economized form of valuing bananas is in tension with how Ugandans appreciate bananas in everyday life. I show that emerging valuations of food matter but still should not be mistaken for changes on the ground. This article thereby searches for a middle ground between critiques of global public health and everyday practice in Uganda as well as between praxeological and structuralist/culturalist approaches to food. Instead of dismissing this banana as part of a mere paternalistic project, I show that it also is ‘good’ conceptually in that it makes bananas and health thinkable in new ways.Item Individualized Text Messages about Public Services Fail to Sway Voters: Evidence from a Field Experiment on Ugandan Elections(Cambridge University Press, 2022-07-15) Ryan S. Jablonski; Mark T. Buntaine; Daniel L. Nielson; Paula M. PickeringMobile communication technologies can provide citizens access to information that is tailored to their specific circumstances. Such technologies may therefore increase citizens’ ability to vote in line with their interests and hold politicians accountable. In a large-scale randomized controlled trial in Uganda (n = 16,083), we investigated whether citizens who receive private, timely, and individualized text messages by mobile phone about public services in their community punished or rewarded incumbents in local elections in line with the information. Respondents claimed to find the messages valuable and there is evidence that they briefly updated their beliefs based on the messages; however, the treatment did not cause increased votes for incumbents where public services were better than expected nor decreased votes where public services were worse than anticipated. The considerable knowledge gaps among citizens identified in this study indicate potential for communication technologies to effectively share civic information. Yet the findings imply that when the attribution of public service outcomes is difficult, even individualized information is unlikely to affect voting behavior.Item Why do different cultures form and persist? Learning from the case of Makerere University(Cambridge University Press, 2023-09-09) Joan Ricart-HuguetCulture is a central concept in the social sciences. It is also difficult to examine rigorously. I study the oldest university in East Africa and a cradle of political elites, Makerere University, where halls of residence developed distinct cultures in the 1970s such that some hall cultures are activist (e.g. Lumumba Hall) while others are respectful to authorities (e.g. Livingstone Hall) even though assignment to halls has been random since 1970. I leverage this unique setting to understand how culture forms and affects the values and behaviours of young adults. Participant observation, interviews and archives suggest that cultural differences arose from critical junctures that biased group (hall) composition and from intergroup (inter-hall) competition. Hall governments promote cultural and institutional persistence through the intergenerational transmission of norms and practices, thereby highlighting the role of political hierarchy in reproducing culture.